Sequential four-speed shifter

ABSTRACT

A gearshift for a gearbox has a disc cam for each gear selecting lever. The levers engage a slot in the disc cam face and produce to and fro gear selection or NEUTRAL movement.  
     For vehicles where REVERSE is desirable, a separate cam and lever are available. The cams are rotated by a bidirectional ratchet and pawls. The ratchet is rotated through 300° by the uniplanar movement of the gear lever. This gearshift substitutes the H-gate of a vehicle, but is capable of non-vehicle application.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

[0001] This invention concerns gear shifts for gear boxes.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

[0002] It is common for road vehicles, such as private cars and commercial vehicles, to have four forward speeds, neutral and reverse speeds arranged for operation with an H-gate. Engagement of reverse gear requires extra lateral selection motion outside the H, as does the selection of overdrive for cruising. Some drivers prefer straight motion selection.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

[0003] This invention provides a manual gear shift for connection to selectors in a gear train, comprising means for converting uniplanar movements of a gear lever into rotary motion, one or more disc cams arranged to be turned by the rotary motion and a follower for the or each cam adapted to produce to and fro movement capable of linkage to a gear train selector. cl PREFERRED ASPECTS OF THE INVENTION

[0004] The means for converting the gear lever movement into rotary motion is ratchet driven by a pair of pawls linked to a crank projecting from the gear lever. The disc cams and the ratchet may be on a common shaft. The gear levers may be disposed on both faces of a common cam, each lever having a pin engaging the cam face.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0005] One embodiment is now described with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:

[0006]FIG. 1 is a perspective showing the general layout.

[0007]FIG. 2 is a front sectional view.

[0008]FIG. 3 is an underneath plan.

[0009]FIGS. 4, 5 and 6 are side views showing the pawl producing movement of the levers.

[0010]FIGS. 7, 8 and 9 are perspective views of the cams.

[0011]FIG. 10 is a perspective view of a lever.

[0012]FIG. 11 is a side view showing neutral.

[0013]FIG. 12 is a side view showing reverse.

[0014]FIG. 13 shows the selection of the first gear.

[0015]FIG. 14 shows the selection of second gear.

[0016]FIG. 15 shows the selection of third gear.

[0017]FIG. 16 shows the selection of fourth gear.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION WITH RESPECT TO THE DRAWINGS

[0018] Referring to FIG. 1, the channel section body 2 has bolt holes for connection by brackets (not shown to the gear box). Axle 4 mounts bell crank 6, one arm of which is the gear lever itself 8. Crank 6 mounts a pair of pins 10, 12 from which depend a pair of pawls 14, 16. Pawl 14 has paired hooks separated by a short gap 18. Pawl 16 is longer and has paired hooks separated by a long gap 20.

[0019] Axle 22 supports a ratchet assembly consisting of a drum 24 with six transverse rods 26 arranged at 60° intervals around the drum. Pawls 14 and 16 are urged into contact by rat trap springs 28, 30. Actuation of the gear lever and attached bell crank drives the ratchet assembly clockwise in 60° steps and then anticlockwise in five 60° steps, ie. gears 1, 2, 3, 4, NEUTRAL and REVERSE.

[0020] The same axle 22 supports a disc cam 32 for reverse selection and disc cam 34 with a slot 36 in one circular face for selecting gear 1 and gear 2 and a slot 38 in the opposite circular face for selecting gear 3 and gear 4.

[0021] Referring now to FIGS. 3 and 7, disc cam 32 has an arcuate slot 40 in one face. The opposite face abuts the ratchet drum. The body has an internal bracket 42 which supports axle 44 from which depend a REVERSE lever 46, a ½ lever 48 and a ¾ lever 50. In FIG. 10 a lever is shown with a pin 52 which in use rides in the cam slot. Bore 54 is for coupling to a gearbox selector fork (not shown). All three levers act as followers.

[0022] The pin of the reversing lever engages slot 40. The pin of the ½ lever 48 engages slot 36. The pin of ¾ lever 50 engages slot 38. Looking at FIG. 12, the reversing slot is circular except for the end step 56. Accordingly, for most of the movement of the gear lever, the reversing lever remains stationary, but at the end of the gear levers travel, the REVERSE lever tilts and selects REVERSE. In FIG. 11, the circular arcs of all three slots coincide and the levers rest in NEUTRAL.

[0023] In FIGS. 13-15, the slots 36 and 38 are shown superimposed with the blank 56 and peak 58 of both slots in corresponding positions. Rotation of the cam produces different movement in the levers through 240° from NEUTRAL in both levers to ½ and then ¾.

[0024] Rotation of the cam from NEUTRAL produces no movement in lever ¾ and the reverse lever for 240° of ratchet rotation during which gear 1 and then gear 2 are selected. The lever ½ remains stationary while lever ¾ moves due to 120° of ratchet rotation. From gear 4, the driver moves down through the gears to recover NEUTRAL. The positions are shown stage wise in FIGS. 11-16. The arrest and dwell of the disc 34 is assisted by the provision of circumferential recesses 62 at 60° intervals by spring loaded detent 64.

[0025] The disc cams are made of mild steel which is case hardened after milling. Clearly the mechanism can manage a larger number of gears by the provision of more cams and smaller angular steps.

[0026] I have found the advantages of the above embodiment to be: 1. Lost motion is minimised. 2. Small number of working parts, allows a compact mechanism. 3. A substantial proportion of the parts can be laser cut from steel sheet.

[0027] Clearly the gearshift is applicable to static installations such as in mining and manufacturing where gear trains utilise selector forks. 

What is claimed is:
 1. A manual gear shifter capable of connection to gear selectors comprising means for converting uniplanar movement of a gear lever into rotary motion, one or more disc cams arranged to be turned by the rotary motion and a follower for the or each cam adapted to produce to and fro movement capable of linkage to the gear selectors.
 2. A manual gear shifter as claimed in claim 1, wherein the means to convert uniplanar movement into rotary motion is a ratchet and pawl which feeds in clockwise and anti clockwise directions.
 3. A manual gear shifter as claimed in claim 2, wherein the ratchet and disc cams are fixed to a common shaft.
 4. A manual gear shifter as claimed in claim 3, wherein the first cam has an obverse face, a reverse face, a slot in the obverse face for follower ½ and a slot in the reverse face for follower ¾.
 5. A manual gear shifter as claimed in claim 4, wherein a second cam and a follower is dedicated to the selection of REVERSE.
 6. A manual gear shifter as claimed in claim 4, wherein each slot has two blind ends which limit the arc of travel of the gear lever.
 7. A manual gear shift as claimed in claim 1, wherein the ratchet teeth are disposed in 5×60° steps.
 8. A manual gear shift as claimed in claim 1, wherein the ratchet is bidirectional and is actuated by a pair of pawls given feed motion by the gear lever movement.
 9. A manual gear shift as claimed in claim 1, wherein the ratchet has teeth which are a circular array of mutually parallel rods.
 10. A manual gear shift as claimed in claim 9, wherein one pawl is a feed pawl and the other pawl is an arrester and the pair rock like an escapement.
 11. A manual gear shift as claimed in claim 10, wherein the feed pawl has feed hooks separated by the spacing of two adjacent rods, whereas the arrester hooks of the brake pawl have feed hooks separated by the spacing of more than two adjacent rods. 